Dead Body Discovered in Wheel Well of United Airlines Plane After It Lands in Hawaii

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Robert Alexander/Getty Images

Robert Alexander/Getty Images

A dead body was found in a wheel well of a United Airlines plane that landed in Maui, Hawaii, on Tuesday, Dec. 24.

Flight 202 departed from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport at 9:49 a.m. and arrived at the gate in Maui at 2:12 p.m. local time,according to FlightAware.

The wheel well is only accessible from outside the aircraft, United said in its statement.

“At this time, it is not clear how or when the person accessed the wheel well,” the airline said in the statement, adding that the company was working with law enforcement to find out more information.

Local authorities, including the Maui Police Department,confirmed to Hawaii News Nowthat they were “conducting an active investigation regarding a deceased individual.”

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“At this time, no further details are available,” Maui PD said.

Representatives with the police department and the Hawaii Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information.

According to CBS News, the holiday season is on track to be the busiest ever, with 54 million passengers expected to fly during a 19-day period that began Thursday, Dec. 19 and runs through Monday, Jan. 6.

source: people.com